Alleging gross irregularities in the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj’s (RDPR) ambitious project of supplying purified drinking water to people in rural areas, the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party in the Legislative Council on Tuesday demanded formation of a Cabinet sub-committee to conduct a survey of the plants in the State and recommend measures to solve the problem.
Refusing to accept RDPR Minister Krishna Byre Gowda’s assurance that a technical committee, set up to study the irregularities, would be asked to submit its report by March 15, the Opposition members led by their leader Kota Srinivas Poojary staged a dharna in the well of the House and disrupted proceedings forcing Council Chairman Prathapchandra Shetty to adjourn the House.
Raising the issue, BJP MLC Raghunath Rao Malkapure alleged that almost all the water purification units in Bidar district had become defunct.
Mr. Poojary alleged that more than half of the 18,098 purification plants in rural areas installed since 2011 have become dysfunctional creating water scarcity in villages.
This is owing to lack of maintenance of the plants and negligence of officials, he alleged.
Responding to the allegations, Mr. Gowda said 18,552 units had been approved since 2016. While work on 16,360 has been completed, 15,678 have been commissioned. The Minister said at any given time, at least 500 units will be under repair owing to borewell failure, hard water or negligence by those responsible for maintaining the units.
Maintenance policy
He said the department was in the process of institutionalising a maintenance system in association with World Water Network.
“A maintenance policy is being framed and a maintenance system similar to the system available in ESCOMS, including a call centre, will be put in place by April. I agree there are minor lapses in maintenance but the allegations of misappropriation are far from truth,” the Minister added.